"Lift up your heart and rejoice, for the hour of your mission is come; and your tongue shall be loosed, and you shall declare glad tidings of great joy unto this generation."(D&C 31:3)

Monday, November 14, 2011

It's Been the Best Two Years!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well its super crazy thinking that this is going to be the last time that I write to you all as a missionary. For me the past 2 years have past by faster than I could have ever imagined and honestly it feels like it was just a short time ago that you dropped me off at the sidewalk at the MTC. A lot has changed in that time, cause when you dropped me off at the curb I was a fat, loud, dumb kid. In the past two years has truly been a learning experience for me. I have learned so much of things that I do and don’t want to do with my life. I have learned a new language and hopefully I will be able to use that in my profession or something like that. Also I have gained a greater testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have studied and prayed about it in both Spanish and English and there is no doubt in my mind that it is true.

Being here in Costa Rica preaching the gospel every day for the past two years has truly been an eye opening experience too. I have come to love the people of this country so much especially the members of the church who work so hard to help the church grow and grow. I think the hardest thing to leave behind will be all the new friends I have made, members and missionaries. I want to thank all of the family members and friends who have supported and prayed for me in the past two years. Honestly I haven’t had too many trials here in the mission. I only got sick like twice and it was only lasted for like 4 days in total. I’ve never been assaulted or anything like that and I’ve only received minor verbal abuse/teasing. And I feel like I've had lots of success in inviting people to come unto Christ and receive his gospel. I credit my safety and my success to all of your support, prayers and faithfulness.

I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have had and I’m so grateful that I will be able to safety return home and begin my life all over again. I have missed you all so much and in the time I have been here my love for all of you and grown so much and I cant wait to see you all next week and be able to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with my family. Sorry Nick that you wont be there, but hey I had to go through it and so you will be able to do it and I’m super excited to be able to talk to you on Christmas day!!!! Love ya Bro!

So next week is the big week and like I have said in basically every letter I've ever written that I'm super excited to come home and I'm pretty trunky right now Haha!!! Well there is not too much more that I'm going to write, but to finalize the last letter that Elder Anthony Smith will write as a missionary, I'd like to share my testimony that I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the true church of Christ. I know that it was restored to the earth by a Prophet, Joseph Smith, who was called of God. I know that Thomas S. Monson is God´s prophet on the earth today and that through his words we hear the words and will of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and that it contains the fullness of the Gospel of Christ and that it was translated by Joseph Smith. By reading and applying its words in our lives we will obtain more happiness and peace in this life and Salvation in the next life. I know that Christ lives and that through His atoning sacrifice we can all repent of the mistakes that we make and receive forgiveness. And I know that through covenants that we make in Holy Temples that we can be together with our families for all eternity. (That would be the next covenant that I would like to make haha!) And once again I would just like to thank the Lord for this opportunity that he has given me to serve the Ticos of Costa Rica. It really has been the Best Two Years!!!!!